The Skinny on Sexercise

Look, it's cold outside. As much as I'd love to hit the gym or make it to my usual Pilates class, I'm finding it a bit hard to stay motivated given these cool temps.

So, I thought I'd be creative and see what exercises I could do in the comfort of my very own cozy apartment. And, because I write for Cosmo, naturally my mind turned to sex.

Clearly, sex burns calories (hey, if you break a sweat, you're working out as far as I'm concerned) but I thought I'd turn to the experts to find out just how many—and if a romp in the sack could indeed replace a traditional workout.

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First, I chatted with Venus Ramos, MD, who developed SeXercise, a workout program that's designed to help enhance your sex life. She says that while sex can be good exercise, it really depends on what you're actually doing. Her general rule? "The more creative you get, the more the calories you burn!"

Stacy Berman, trainer and founder of Stacy's Boot Camp in New York, agrees that some positions can provide a good workout. "If you're moving your hips in missionary, it's kind of like a pelvic tilt, so you should feel your abs burning," she says. "Another great exercise is you on top, balancing on your feet, almost like you're doing squats. After a minute, your legs are going to really, really start burning."

In 20-30 minutes, Berman says you could burn up to 200 calories if you're really moving, but, aside from that, you'll also feel significant muscle burn as well. However, she thinks that sex should be a supplement to a regular workout routine—not your sole means of exercise. "I wouldn't go in thinking you're going to get a workout because that kind of takes away from the whole sex part," she says.

So, while having sex isn't an excuse to skip the gym (damn), it certainly can do your body good in more ways than one.